Bell X-1 Photos/Diagrams

[nicely11b]

I'm going to be starting Revell's 1/32nd Bell X-1 and I'm looking for some good detail photos and technical diagrams. I've found a couple basic diagrams online, but I'll be rescribing the panels and I'd like to have some official diagrams to go by. Does anyone have actual diagrams from Bell or know where they can be found?

 

I saw the build on here that was started a few years ago so maybe someone has some info from that build.

 

[Tnarg]

Two books that I like for the X-1 are the Aerofax book and a Smithsonian book "Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1".

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chuck-Yeager-Bell-X-1-Breaking/dp/0810955350/ref=sr_1_sc_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1370575089&sr=8-11-spell&keywords=x-1+chuck+yaeger

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-X-1-Variants-Aerofax-Datagraph/dp/094254840X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370575250&sr=8-1&keywords=x-1+aerofax

 

OK, no one in their right mind would pay that asking price ($4,392, yes I said Four Thousand Three Hundred and Ninety Two Dollars!!!) for the Aerofax book, but it is a good book if you could find it used. The other one is listed for under $5, and is definitely worth that for the photos alone. There are quite a few good color photos including instrument panels, but it is nowhere near the detail quality of the Aerofax book, which has great shots of almost every part of the planes.

 

As a modeler's commentary upon Smithsonian books, it sure is frustrating that with all of the resources that they have, they just don't get it when it comes to documenting their collection. They have a few cockpit books, but they try to make them art books instead of large format, "give me all the detail" books. I am afraid I don't care nearly as much about the political and social implications of the biplane as I do about getting a great shot of a 1930's aircraft instrument panel.

 

I recently did a few photo walkarounds (as close as one can get without crossing the lines) of the Smithsonian's P-26, F4B-4 and Sparrowhawk, but they seem to do their best to prevent us from seeing the interiors of these classic planes (as well as the X-1). All of them are either hung up so high that no one could even approach a good photo perspective, or else, like the Sparrowhawk, they apparently bolted a metal cover over the top of the cockpit. Good idea for preservation, but you'd at least hope that they could even sell a full detailed walk around with close ups of all the details before they did it.

 

Oh well, but we could hope, couldn't we?

 

Tnarg

[LSP_Kevin]

I'd like more info on the X-1 myself, as I have a stalled build on the shelf awaiting my return. I've borrowed the Smithsonian book from my local library, but apart from a few interesting period photos, it's of no great help to the modeller.

 

Kev

[A340 Pilot]

I have this kit in the "pending" pile. Revell states Gray for the cockpit interior. However, many years ago, I built a nice X-1 in 1/72, and remember the instructions calling out Interior Green. Which I find more reasonable.

 

Stein

[Nic C.D.]

Eduard Did a very good job with their X-1 in 1/48 and the panels might be a good guide for you! The box offers about every possibility with regards to the cockpit - it is highly detailed and comes with resin parts and p.e.

 

Nic

[Tnarg]

There are a few good interior photos on this site (first one up on Google search for "Bell X-1 interior photo":

 

http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/bell-x-1/p13217-interior-of-bell-x-1.html

 

I am certain you could find more with a little bit of search, but the drawings and wheel well interiors are a bit harder to locate. This site would probably save you the $5 (plus shipping) for the Smithsonian book if all you are after is the interior photo.

 

Tnarg

[nicely11b]

Oh well, but we could hope, couldn't we?

 

Tnarg

 

That would be too simple. I actually found an app for my iPhone called "ACI Cockpit 360" that has 360 degree views of planes in a lot of museums. I know the National Museum of the Air Force is on there with about 20 other museums. Unfortunately the X-1 isn't one of the planes included, nor is the NASM.

 

I'd like more info on the X-1 myself, as I have a stalled build on the shelf awaiting my return. I've borrowed the Smithsonian book from my local library, but apart from a few interesting period photos, it's of no great help to the modeller.

 

Kev

 

Kev, I believe your build is the one that I mentioned in my initial post. It looked like you were off to a good start. Fortunately, I got the second release of the kit and it is molded in gray plastic and just looks better OOB overall. Maybe once I get mine started it'll motivate you to finish yours

 

I have this kit in the "pending" pile. Revell states Gray for the cockpit interior. However, many years ago, I built a nice X-1 in 1/72, and remember the instructions calling out Interior Green. Which I find more reasonable.

 

Stein

 

The few color photos that I've seen, it is definitely a conglomeration of greens with a black panel and the seat (if you want to call it that) is brown.

 

Eduard Did a very good job with their X-1 in 1/48 and the panels might be a good guide for you! The box offers about every possibility with regards to the cockpit - it is highly detailed and comes with resin parts and p.e.

 

Nic

 

I might have to check that out.

[Nic C.D.]

Bryce, this is the link to the plans of the Eduard kit. You can download them and you'll have the profiles and the panellines...

 

http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/8026.pdf

 

Hope this helps!

 

Nic

[LSP_Mike]

Well, a little copy/paste for the color pics, and I'm better off for mine on the shelf. super!

[nicely11b]

I bought a used copy of the Smithsonian book tonight off Amazon for 4$. The Aerofax book is available used for around 30$ but that's still a little steep I think. I actually was sent the diagram from the Aerofax book on another modeling forum.

 

 

From the pictures, it looks as though the skin was pretty smooth and panel lines weren't very noticeable. 6062 also looks like it was kept pretty clean and it doesn't seem like it should need too much weathering.

 

 

 

I'm assuming that in the last picture, the plane closest to the camera is 6062, judging by the color and marking configuration. It actually looks like the spine panels might be pretty defined...

 

Oh, and for the record, that is the plane that I'll be building (6062 - "Glamorous Glennis"). My youngest daughter shares a birthday with General Yeager and I want her to have something to think about when she gets older and can understand the history of aviation.

[Tnarg]

The Cutting Edge decal set let you have more options. It's not being printed, but you might find one for the price of the whole kit. It had more alternative markings.

 

Tnarg

[LSP_Kevin]

The Cutting Edge decal set let you have more options. It's not being printed, but you might find one for the price of the whole kit. It had more alternative markings.

 

Tnarg

 

I have this set, and it's very good. The Revell kit markings don't appear to be especially accurate, though I've had trouble finding definitive info on exactly how "Glamorous Glennis" was marked at the time of Yeager's famous flight (which is how I wish to build mine).

 

Kev

[nicely11b]

The Cutting Edge decal set let you have more options. It's not being printed, but you might find one for the price of the whole kit. It had more alternative markings.

 

Tnarg

 

I've looked at the Cutting Edge set. Found it online for something like 23$. I may ending up getting it but I'm not sure yet. The kit decals don't look to be too bad for "Glennis" and since I can't really find anything showing markings in detail, I don't really think it is going to matter much in terms of accuracy.

 

I have this set, and it's very good. The Revell kit markings don't appear to be especially accurate, though I've had trouble finding definitive info on exactly how "Glamorous Glennis" was marked at the time of Yeager's famous flight (which is how I wish to build mine).

 

Kev

 

The only really detailed shot of any of the markings (that I've been able to find) is this picture

 

 

I'm wondering if the decals weren't re-done with the new release of the kit? I actually think they look pretty good.

Edited June 8, 2013 by nicely11b

[LSP_Kevin]

I'm wondering if the decals weren't re-done with the new release of the kit? I actually think they look pretty good.

 

On my kit at least they're actually OK. My main confusion has been around whether, at the time of his first Mach 1 flight, Yeager's X-1 had national markings with the red stripe or not. I believe the X-1 program spanned the transition to the new style, and photos suggest the X-1s wore both styles. Which one for the record breaker though?

 

Kev

[nicely11b]

On my kit at least they're actually OK. My main confusion has been around whether, at the time of his first Mach 1 flight, Yeager's X-1 had national markings with the red stripe or not. I believe the X-1 program spanned the transition to the new style, and photos suggest the X-1s wore both styles. Which one for the record breaker though?

 

Kev

 

Hmm...that's a good question, Kev. The few pics that I've seen of 6062 have shown the red stripe, so that's what I'm going to go with. You would really think that as important as this plane was, it would have had more pictures taken of it, even if it was the 1940s.